Away From Home
by amandajz
Summary: The life of a college student is never easy. The exams are tough, the parties are wild, and the stakes are high. After all, you never know what's going to happen when you're away from home. Jolu
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is the very first fic that I ever wrote. It centers around Jolu and is completely AU. The lyrics are from 'Buttons', by the Pussycat Dolls and 'Fake It', by Seether. I own nothing, except for the characters of Jen and Seth. Please review...I'm a sucker for feedback!

**Chapter 1**

"You what?" Johnny yelled into the phone, his voice full of anger and disbelief.

"Come on Johnny. Please just do this for me, this one time. You know I'd do it for you…please?"

"Um, pretty sure you know that I'd never commit you to do something without asking you first and I'm almost positive I've done you millions of favors before, with none of them benefiting me whatsoever," Johnny replied, getting into his black sports car and slamming the door shut.

"Please Johnny, don't make me beg…" the voice on the other end of the phone trailed off. After hearing nothing and sensing that Johnny wasn't going to respond, the person continued, "You're going to make me beg, aren't you?"

"I wouldn't have to make you beg if you wouldn't get yourself and me into these stupid ass shenanigans in the first place," Johnny yelled, frustration lacing his voice.

Noticing the cars ahead of him coming to an abrupt stop, Johnny slammed on his breaks, his car coming to a halt as well.

'_Just freaking great_,' Johnny thought, his already slight headache growing even more. He was already annoyed and frustrated enough at the person on the other end of the phone; the last thing he needed was to sit in an evening traffic jam with half the population of southern California.

"Ok fine, you want me to beg, I'll beg. Please, pretty, pretty please with a cherry on top, will you do this for me? I'll pay for all of the groceries for a month, I'll clean the bathroom for three weeks, I won't bring any girls home for the rest of the year, I'll do your laundry for two weeks, even your underwear, I'll-,"

"Begging and bribing are two different things, but I'll do it," Johnny interrupted, "on two conditions."

"Anything," the voice replied, a hint of relief in their voice.

"One, you never and I mean never, talk to me about my underwear again."

"Done," the person agreed, "and what's the other condition?"

"You owe me big time!" Johnny stated, grateful that traffic was starting to move again.

"Of course. I'll do anything. Anytime you need a favor, you know I'm down," the person promised. "Oh, and we need to be there at 8 o'clock sharp, so I hope you get your ass here soon."

"I'm on my way," Johnny sighed, snapping his phone shut.

Turning up his radio and tapping his fingers along to the beat of the song on his steering wheel, Johnny hoped he wouldn't be getting himself into too much deep shit that night.

---

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Johnny said, trying to talk above the thumping music of Club 360. The place was packed for the night before the last day of finals and he had to weave his way through the crowd in order to get to the bar.

"Just relax. It's going to be fine. I mean, you get to spend the night in the company of a stud and two beautiful ladies. What could go wrong?" asked Seth, Johnny's roommate of almost two years.

"You being the stud I take it?" Johnny asked, an amused expression on his face. At seeing Seth shrug his shoulders as if to say '_you said it_,' Johnny continued, "Well, let's think of what could possibly go wrong," he stopped, pretending to ponder for a moment. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot that I have to take the most important final of my life tomorrow at 7am, which could mean the difference between living a life of success and wealth or living a life in a cardboard box on the side of a street, eating leftovers from the dumpster a few alleys away-,"

"Oh, don't be so overdramatic drama queen," Seth interrupted, "your daddy has enough money to make all the homeless people in the world millionaires."

"Maybe so, but if I don't pass this exam, I can guarantee my dad won't be pleased and I'll be food for this fishies," Johnny said. "And don't forget the other reason as to why I shouldn't be on a double-date or any date for that matter."

"How could I forget the Maxster?" Seth asked sarcastically, using the affectionate nickname he had given Johnny's girlfriend. Seth had given her the nickname, a cross between her name, Maxie, and the word 'monster', after meeting her for the very first time a year and a half ago, when she had come to visit Johnny.

"Why must to always call her that?" Johnny asked through gritted teeth.

"You know I love Maxie bro, but she can be…how should I say this…a major bitch sometimes!"

"Seth…" Johnny warned, closing his eyes in frustration.

"Ok, so maybe bitch wasn't the nicest word to use," Seth stated, seeing Johnny's angry expression. "She can just be superficial and overbearing at times."

"I know," Johnny admitted. "Let's just drop the subject before I decide to leave your ass here and you have to explain to your latest conquest why you don't have a date for her friend. Speaking of which, where are these girls? I thought we were meeting the girls at 8 o'clock sharp?"

"Would you relax already? It's only five after eight. You should know girls are always fashionably late…your girlfriend always is."

"Seth, I swear to God, if you don't shut your mouth, when the girls get here, I'll tell them all about you, portraying you so that they think that you don't exactly swing one way."

"Okay, okay. Just order a drink. And make it something strong…we don't want them to think we like using the back door every now and then…"

"Seth, I-,"

"I know, I know. You swear to God if I don't shut my mouth, you'll punch me in the jugular."

---

An hour later, Johnny sat at the bar sipping his third drink while Seth was frantically searching the club for any sign of the girls they were supposed to meet. Johnny had told him a half hour ago that the girls weren't coming and to face the fact that they had been stood up, but Seth wasn't buying that, saying that he must have got his signals crossed with Candy.

'_Seriously, what kind of name is that anyway_?' Johnny thought to himself. She sounded like a lollipop looking for someone to just lick her up. He would have understood if her name was Candace and people called her Candy for short, but according to Seth, Candy was a nickname given to her by her '_friends_'.

Noticing Seth wandering back up to the bar, Johnny wondered, "Any sign of your edible friend?"

"No," Seth sighed, "I guess they're not coming."

"Finally, you've found your common sense!" Johnny proclaimed. "If you had just listened to me a half hour ago, I could be home in bed right now, resting up for my exam."

"Oh please, you could pass that exam in your sleep," Seth quipped. "But we'll leave so sleeping beauty can get his rest," he continued, sliding off his barstool and turning to head towards the exit, Johnny right behind him.

Hearing someone say, "Excuse me," behind them, the boys turned around, a questioning look on their faces as they glanced at the bartender.

"This is for you," he said, setting a beer in front of Seth. "From the lovely lady across the bar," he motioned to a beautiful brunette who was casually sipping her drink, one hand holding her straw in place, the other hand playfully waving at Seth.

"Thanks," Seth told the bartender. Turning to Johnny, he said, "I think I should go talk to her. It would be extremely rude if I didn't."

"Come on Seth, I thought you said we could leave," Johnny whined.

"That was before Ms. Thing over there bought me a drink. Please just quit your bitching for a moment and chillax for a minute while I go talk to her. I promise I'll make this up to you," Seth said, already making his way towards the lovely lady.

"Yeah, I've heard that before!" Johnny yelled to his retreating form.

Sitting back down at the bar, Johnny ordered another drink and muttered to himself, "Why do I always get myself into these ridiculous situations?"

"Cuz your hot?" he heard a voice offer behind him. Turning, Johnny's breath caught in his throat at the beauty before him. She had long, blonde hair that framed her flawless face perfectly, and her amber eyes were the most gorgeous orbs he had ever seen. Her form-fitting jeans hugged her curves in all the right places, and the neckline of her bright red tank-top plunged just low enough to give guys like him a peak of what lay underneath the thin fabric.

"Excuse me?" Johnny asked, finally finding his voice.

"Did I stutter?" she asked. "I said maybe you get yourself into these ridiculous situations cuz your hot."

"Thanks, I guess," Johnny replied, unsure of how to respond to her bold statement.

"Your welcome. The name's Lulu," she said, holding out her hand for Johnny to take.

"Johnny," he replied, taking her hand in his. He was shocked at the spark of electricity he felt buzzing through his fingers at her contact. His eyes connecting with hers, he slowly let go of her hand and said, "It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise," she replied, "but I have to be honest with you. I would have never approached you had my best friend not insisted on it."

Confused, Johnny asked, "And what does that mean?"

Pointing across the bar to where Seth and the woman who had bought him a drink were flirting, Lulu said, "Jen, my friend, has the hots for your friend. So, she convinced me to come over here and keep you company while she works her magic on…"

"Seth," Johnny finished for her.

"Yeah, so I'm just doing my duty by coming over here and chatting it up with you. I hope that's okay."

"Do you see me complaining?" Johnny asked, his signature smirk finding its way on his face.

"Good," Lulu proclaimed. "So, how about we get to know each other over a round of shots?"

---

Two hours later and several rounds of shots for Lulu later, Johnny was still sitting at the bar while Lulu was using the restroom. Lulu had coerced Johnny into two rounds of 'lick it-slam it-suck it', as she had called it, but he had refused to have anymore tequila after that, for he wanted to be in the best mindset possible for his exam. Lulu, on the other hand, had no reservations and Johnny had stopped counting how many shots she had consumed a while ago.

Stumbling her way back up to the bar, Lulu put her hands on Johnny's shoulders and said, "Dance with me."

"What?" Johnny asked, his brow rising in confusion.

"I may be a little intoxicated, but I know I didn't stutter. Dance with me!" Lulu commanded.

"No," Johnny simply stated, earning a glare from Lulu.

When Johnny didn't budge, Lulu decided she needed a different approach. "Please?" she pouted, leaning closer to Johnny to whisper in his ear, "pretty please?" Pulling back, she stuck her bottom lip out and gave Johnny the best puppy-dog face she could muster. "Come on Johnny, I love this song. And Jen and whets-his-name are out there too."

"Fine," Johnny said, letting Lulu grab his hand and pull him onto the crowded dance floor.

Upon getting to their destination in the center of the floor, the current song faded and a new song started. "Oh, I love this song even more," Lulu slurred, throwing her arms in the air and sashaying her hips to the music. Deciding to let himself have a little fun, Johnny let loose and started swaying to the music as well.

"_I'm telling you to loose up my buttons baby_ ," Lulu sang along, her hands going to her waist, "_but you keep fronting_ ," she continued, her fingers starting to unbuckle her belt.

As she started to pull her belt through the loops of her jeans, Johnny's hands went to her waist, halting her from completely taking her belt off. "What are you doing?" he asked, still swaying with the beat of the song.

"Well, I don't have any buttons to loosen up, so I decided my belt would have to do instead," she stated, looking up at Johnny.

Clearly amused, Johnny said, "Ok, but I think that's enough. Put your belt back on."

"I can't," Lulu said, trying to loop the belt back in place but failing miserably. "Do it for me."

Taking hold of the belt, Johnny strung it through the loops with ease, buckling it back up as Lulu stared at him with a look of awe on her face. "You're really good at that. Let me guess, you do if often, huh?"

"Dance," Johnny instructed, smiling at Lulu.

As they started dancing, Lulu once again began singling along, "_Baby can't you see, how these clothes are fitting on me, and the heat coming from this beat, I'm about to blow, I don't think you know_ …"

Lulu's hands went to the collar of Johnny's shirt as she continued singing, "_I'm telling you to loosen up my buttons baby_ …" she sang, her hands slowly finding their way down to the first button of Johnny's shirt, unbuttoning it with one flick of her hands.

As she undid the second button and her hands moved down to the third, Johnny grabbed her hands in his, halting them from moving any further down his shirt. "Just what do you think your doing?" he asked.

"Since I have no buttons and you said my belt is off limits, your buttons were the next best option," she said, giving Johnny a wide smile.

"I think dance party is over," Johnny stated, grabbing Lulu's hand and leading her back to the bar. "I've got to get going soon. So I'm just gonna find Seth and then I'll be out of here."

"I've got to find Jen too," Lulu said, turning around to walk away and nearly falling flat on her face as she stumbled over her own feet. Johnny quickly put his hands out and grasped Lulu's waist, stopping her from falling.

As Lulu stood up from her hunched position, her back came in contact with Johnny's hard chest. His hands still on her waist, Lulu turned around to look at Johnny, softly saying, "Thank you."

Just as Johnny was about to reply, Lulu's phone beeped, signaling she had a new text message. Breaking out of Johnny's grasp, Lulu grabbed her purse and searched for her phone, pulling it out and flipping it open to see a new text from Jen.

'_Left with Seth. Took car, so I hope you can find a ride_ .'

"Looks like it's just you and me," Lulu said, snapping her phone shut.

"And what do you mean by that?" Johnny asked, eyeing Lulu warily.

"Well, according to that text, Jen left me here high and dry with no ride home. And it seems your friend has gone with her. So I guess you'll just have to be a gentleman and give me a lift."

"Just great," Johnny sighed.

Noticing the hurt look on Lulu's face, Johnny said, "No, no, it's not like that. I don't have a problem giving you a ride. It's just that Seth always does this to me and is pisses me off like no other. He could have at least told me he was leaving."

"I know, but he probably wasn't thinking with the right head if you know what I mean," Lulu slurred.

"And I think you've hit the nail on the head," Johnny chuckled. "Come on, let's get going."

Putting his hand on the small of Lulu's back, he guided them through the still-crowded club and out to his car. Opening the passenger side door for Lulu, he let her climb in before shutting her door and walking around to the other side to get in the car himself.

"Wow, I've never been in a corvette before," Lulu breathed, amazed at her surroundings. "I bet you can go real fast in this thing, can't you?"

"Yeah, but you're not going to find out how fast," Johnny replied, giving her a crooked smile.

"You mean I'm not going to find out how fast this baby can go tonight," Lulu said, leaning forward and patting the dashboard. "Cause maybe you could take me for a ride sometime, when I'm completely sober and there's no chance I'll hurl?"

Stealing a glance at Lulu, Johnny trained his eyes back on the road and replied, "Yeah, maybe."

Johnny turned up the radio as one of his favorite songs, 'Fake It' by Seether, started to play.

"Oh my god, I love this song!" Lulu proclaimed, reaching out her hand to the radio and turning up the volume even more.

"How many songs do you love?" Johnny asked, slightly turning his head to look at Lulu.

"A lot," Lulu admitted, "I have quite the extensive music collection." She then began to sing along:

_Good god you're coming up with reasons_  
_Good god you're dragging it out_  
_Good god it's the changing of the seasons_  
_I feel so raped_  
_So follow me down_  
_And just fake it if you're out of direction_  
_Fake it if you don't belong here_  
_Fake it if you feel like affection_  
_Woah, you're such a fucking hypocrite_

"You wanna here a funny story about the first time I heard this song?" Lulu asked, her eyes sparkling with laughter. Not waiting for Johnny to respond, she continued, "Well, I had stayed the night at my ex-boyfriend, Logan's, apartment. And he has this weird thing where he can't fall asleep without listening to music…it's weird I know, but then again, Logan's a few fries short a happy meal. Anyways, when I woke up in the morning, I heard this song for the first time and I instantly loved it. I was laying there thinking of a way that I could remember the name so I could download it when and I got home and then I thought, '_Just remember what you did last night, Lu_ .'"

At hearing Lulu's admission, Johnny busted out laughing and Lulu soon joined him. "You are quite the catch, Lulu," Johnny said after his laughing had subsided.

"Well, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be telling you any of this if I weren't drunk….but then again, maybe I would. You're just really easy to talk to," she yawned.

"So are you," Johnny said softy, letting a comfortable silence come over them. After a while, Johnny realized that he had been driving around aimlessly, as he didn't know where Lulu lived. "So, where am I going Lulu?" he asked. "Lulu?" he asked again when she didn't respond. Looking over to at her, he noticed that she had drifted off to sleep, a smile on her face.

'_Now what am I going to do_ ?' he thought to himself. He had no idea where she lived and he didn't have the heart to interrupt her from her slumber. So he did the only thing the thought he could. He drove back to his place with this girl that had taken him by complete surprise sleeping peacefully next to him.  
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	2. Chapter 2

**_Chapter 2_**

Something warm and hard beneath her head, her legs tangled with someone else's, Lulu slowly peaked one eye open to find herself staring at a man's bare chest. Quickly sitting up, she peeled the sheets away from herself, her eyes shooting to her body to see if she had any clothes on. Sighing in relief to see the wrinkled purple fabric of her shirt hugging her upper body and her skin-tight jeans covering her legs, her eyes scanned the room, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings.

The room was spacious and bright, with several different posters decorating the walls. Some were in honor of USC, while others were of various bands and football teams. There was a bookshelf against one wall and a desk against the other, various medical textbooks and binders strewn across it. A large, flat screen TV hung on the wall beside the bed, two leather chairs directly across from it. To Lulu, the room looked more like a bachelor pad than a bedroom.

Shifting her focus away from the room, Lulu turned slightly to observe the man lying next to her. Remembering Johnny from the night before, she wondered how the hell she had wound up in his bed. Although her memory was a little foggy, she remembered dancing with him and insisting he give her a ride home. The last memory she had was of climbing into his car and asking if it could go real fast.

Looking at him, Lulu was amazed at how truly beautiful he was. When she had first laid eyes on him at the bar, she was at a loss for words. In his dark blue jeans and bright green button-down shirt that had hugged his muscles in all the right places, he was the most gorgeous man she had ever seen. His dark hair and chocolate brown eyes only accentuated his handsome face and his body was that of a Greek god. But while she had thought he was extremely attractive the night before, nothing compared to how beautiful he was at that very moment. His hair a mess, the corners of his lips twitching up in a small smile, and his chest rising and falling with each breath he took, he was truly breathtaking.

So lost in her thoughts of him, Lulu didn't notice Johnny stirring beside her.

"What the hell are you doing in my bed?" Johnny asked, frantically sitting up, the sheet falling away from him to expose his naked body from the waist up.

Lulu was momentarily speechless as she took in Johnny's upper half. He was chiseled and toned to perfection, making Lulu want to reach out and run her fingertips along his flawlessly sculpted abs. When Johnny cleared his throat, she tore her eyes away from his chest and moved them back to his face. "I could ask you the same thing," Lulu proclaimed, having no idea how she had got there.

"Well," Johnny started, untangling his legs from hers and getting out of his bed to reveal he was only clothed in a pair of boxers, "you fell asleep in my car and I didn't know where to take you, so, not wanting to wake you, I just came back here. I carried you up here and put you on the couch. As for how you ended up in my bed, with your legs tangled in mine, I have no idea."

"Shit," Lulu muttered.

"What?" Johnny asked, confused.

"I think I got up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night and I subconsciously made my way to your bed somehow," Lulu answered, beginning to remember how she had stumbled around while trying to find the bathroom the night before. "Sorry."

"Oh, well no harm done," Johnny said. "How about you get your things together and I'll give you a ride home before I to take my ex-. Shit, what time is it?" he asked, his eyes flying to his bedside table. "Ten o'clock," he shrieked, "what the hell? I know I set my alarm for six…this cannot be happening."

"Yeah, about that…" Lulu trailed off.

"About what?" Johnny asked, not liking the sound of her voice.

"Your alarm clock," Lulu answered hesitantly, "I think…I think I might have turned it off."

"You what?" Johnny shouted, his face turning red with anger. "What the hell would you do that for?"

"Well, you see, it's kind of a funny story actually." When Johnny didn't say anything, Lulu quickly continued, "Whenever I wake up and my alarm clock hasn't gone off yet, I turn it off cuz I hate the sound of it. I dread that annoying beeping…it's just so loud and ugh…just annoying. It sounds like a bomb that's ready to go off and it always interrupts me from my peaceful dreams-,"

"That's cause its purpose is to wake you up," Johnny interrupted, his voice laced with anger. He was about to explode. If it had been any other day, he wouldn't have cared. But it wasn't any other day and now he'd have to pay the consequences for the rest of his life.

He needed to take that exam. He needed to take it and he needed to pass it in order to have any shot at the future of his dreams. But now that he had missed it, there was no going back. His professor had been very clear; be on time and prepared to take the exam or don't take it at all. There were to be no latecomers, no last minute questions, and most importantly, no excuses. Excuses were not an option.

"I don't get what the big deal is," Lulu said, breaking Johnny out of his thoughts. Crawling out of the bed and coming to stand in from of him, she continued, "I mean, so you woke up a little late. So you're gonna get a late start. Big frickin' deal. Why don't you cry about it a little more?"

Watching Lulu walk out of the bedroom and into the living room, Johnny had to refrain himself from grabbing the nearest breakable object and hurling it at her retreating form. He couldn't believe the nerve of that girl. First, she had fallen asleep in his car, forcing him to carry her up the five flights of stairs it took to get to his apartment, and then she had somehow climbed into his bed, burrowing her way into his arms. He had been able to tolerate that…he even found it kind of cute. But turning his alarm off and mouthing off about it when he got angry was the last straw.

Barging into the living room and seeing Lulu relaxing on his couch, casually flipping through a magazine, Johnny yelled, "Who the hell do you think you are? You get drunk and ask me to dance, practically throwing yourself at me-,"

"Throwing myself at you?" Lulu asked incredulously. "You must be delusional, because I did not throw myself at you," she said, her voice growing louder with each word she spoke. "In fact, I would never even think about getting involved with a self-centered jerk like you!"

Ignoring the comment about him being self-centered, Johnny replied, "Oh yeah? What do you call trying to unbutton my shirt on the middle of the dance floor? You were so hot for me, you couldn't even wait til we were alone. And then, you ask me to take you for a ride sometime so we can go real fast-,"

Slamming the magazine she was reading shut, Lulu stood up and interrupted, "Ok, first of all, I just did that because I was slightly liquored up and that song was playing and you wouldn't let me take my belt off. And then when you put my belt back on for me, your hands were all over me-," she stopped mid-rant at hearing a door slam and someone whistling behind her.

Turning around, she recognized the guy from the club the night before…the guy her friend had been so desperate to get her hands on. He abruptly stopped his whistling at seeing Lulu and Johnny for the first time, his gaze going from her to Johnny, who was still only in his boxers, and back to her again. Unsure of what to say or do, Lulu raised her arm and gave him a little wave, her lips forming a hesitant smile before saying, "Uh, hi."

"Well, hello," Seth said, his voice cheerful. He could feel the tension between Johnny and Lulu, his eyes once again going from Lulu to Johnny and back to Lulu again. His face broke out in a wide smile before he continued," It seems like my boy finally got some. If I had known, I would've refrained from coming home for a little while so you two could continue…whatever it was that you were doing-,"

"This is not what it looks like," Johnny said through gritted teeth.

"Yeah," Lulu piped in, her eyes shooting daggers at Johnny, "I wouldn't sleep with him if he were the last guy on this planet."

"Don't worry, Seth, Big Mouth here was just leaving," Johnny retorted, picking up Lulu's purse off the coffee table and shoving it into her hands. "You know the way to the door."

"You know Seth, Hot Shot over there only wishes he could have shown me how much of a hot shot he could be in bed…but I would never give him the satisfaction. Have a nice life," Lulu said, stalking up to the door.

"Don't let the door hit you on the way out," Johnny called behind her.

At hearing the door slam, Seth let out a loud whistle and said, "Nice try at covering bro, but you don't have to deny that you slept with her. I told you I owe you big for coming with me last night and you know I always deliver. So I'll repay you by not telling the Maxster about your little tryst with Ms. Sweet Thang."

"Pay attention Seth," Johnny yelled in frustration. "I didn't sleep with her. Her friend left with you, leaving her stranded at the club. So I gave her a ride and she fell asleep without telling me where to go, so I just brought her back here. I was nice enough to do that for her and how does she repay me? She turns off my alarm clock, making me sleep through my exam and then she mouths off about it when I get pissed at her-,"

"So, you did sleep with her?" Seth asked at hearing Johnny slip that she turned off his alarm clock.

"What did I just tell you?" Johnny asked exasperated. "I repeat, I did not sleep with her."

"So she didn't sleep in your bed then, right?" Seth inquired.

Finally realizing what he let slip, he tried to explain, "No, she did, but it was an accident-,"

"Let me guess. You just accidentally put her in your bed, before the two of you accidentally ripped each others clothes off, before your dick accidentally-,"

"I did not have sex with her," Johnny yelled. "She climbed in bed with me in the middle of the night and then-,"

"If that's what you need to tell yourself in order to not feel guilty, who am I to stop you?" Seth interrupted.

"There is nothing to feel guilty about because nothing happened," Johnny said truthfully, his hands clenching at his sides.

"Sure, I believe you," Seth said, still not convinced. "So if you didn't have sex with her, then why are you so damn upset? Seriously bro, you look like a predator ready to attack its prey."

"Have you been paying attention to anything I've told you? She turned off my alarm clock, meaning it didn't go off, meaning I didn't make it to my exam, meaning the rest of my life is over."

"You should be in theater," Seth said plopping down on the couch and earning a glare from Johnny. "You're always so dramatic. Missing and failing one exam is not the end of the world."

"It is for me," Johnny sighed, walking back into his bedroom. No one understood what this meant to him. He didn't want to become like his father. He wanted a different life than the one his father had paved for him. And the only way to accomplish that was by showing his father that he could do it. That he could make a life for himself and be successful on his own terms. He had made a deal with his father that if he proved he could do it, proved that he could be happy and successful with the life that he chose for himself, his father would accept it and not force him into a life he didn't want. And he was on his way. He was on his way to escaping his father's shadow and forcing his father to accept the choices he had made. But failing that exam changed everything. Failing that exam meant going back to the cruel and unforgiving life he didn't want any part of. Failing that exam meant he had failed in his father's eyes, forcing him to respond to his father's every beck and call. Failing that exam meant living a life in hell.  
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**Please Review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Johnny settled into his seat and leaned his head back against the headrest, his eyes slowly closing as he tried to fight off the headache he was currently battling. Although he desperately wanted to get out of California for a while, and escape the problems he was currently facing, he was in no mood to go back to his hometown and face the wrath of his father either. He didn't want the eventual blow-up with his father that was bound to happen to occur anytime soon. He was still dealing with the shock of what missing that exam meant for his future. The last thing he wanted to do was explain to his father why he had failed to show up for it. His father would surely lecture him about the importance of finishing what you start, no matter what distractions come your way. He would then proceed to tell Johnny 'I told you so' and force him back into the life he thought he could leave behind.

The sound of someone clearing their throat and saying, "Excuse me," broke Johnny out of his thoughts. Looking up, he found a woman with long blonde hair tripping over his legs as she tried to get past him and to her seat.

"Oh, sorry," Johnny said, quickly sitting up straight and moving his legs to the side to let the blonde sneak by. As she squeezed between him and the seat in front of her, her backside to him, Johnny couldn't help but notice the way her snug jeans hugged her body.

Sitting down, she said, "I'm so glad I have the window seat…that's the only way to go."

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Johnny's head snapped up, this thoughts of how nice her body looked quickly becoming a distant memory. Meeting her eyes, Johnny groaned, "You've got to be kidding me."

"It's nice to see you too, Hot Shot," Lulu smirked as she buckled her seatbelt and settled back into her seat, "Long time, no see."

"Why me?" Johnny muttered, once again throwing his head back against his seat. '_I have the worst luck_ ,' he thought. First he had screwed up his life, with a lot of help from the girl sitting next to him. Then he had gotten in a major fight with her, leaving him frustrated and bitter. He then had to get his stuff together and board a plane for his hometown, a place he really didn't care to visit anytime soon. And to top it all off, he had to sit next to the cause of all of his problems for the next few hours.

"Oh, get over yourself," Lulu snapped as the plane took off and ascended into the air.

"Excuse me?" Johnny said, looking up. His patience was already wearing thin. Any more attitude from Lulu was bound to push him over the edge.

"You think the world revolves around you, don't you? You cry and whine because some girl turns off your alarm clock and then you think you're cursed or something just because you have to sit next to said girl on an airplane. But why don't you just admit that your real problem is that I wouldn't sleep with you and now you're trying to cover up your sexual frustration with some lame story about how your life is over just because-,"

"Oh, like you even know what the hell happened last night," Johnny said, angered at her ridiculous accusations and assumptions. She had no clue the trouble she had caused and now she was running her mouth, again, about things she didn't understand. "And for the record, I don't think my-,"

"Calm down, Hot Shot," Lulu said, her voice softening, "I was just kidding."

"What…why?" Johnny asked, confused by her statement.

"Cause I like it when you got all hot and bothered," Lulu laughed, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"What?" Johnny asked, trying to ignore the feeling he got in the pit of his stomach at hearing the flirtatiousness in her voice. "I was not all hot and bothered," he defended.

"Oh, whatever!" Lulu proclaimed, tilting her head to the side to get a better look at him. "You were so hot and bothered."

"Whatever makes you feel good about yourself," Johnny muttered, wishing there was someone to put a little distance between him and Lulu.

Her voice soft and a hint of guilt in her eyes, Lulu said, "Seriously Johnny, I'm really sorry."

"For what?" Johnny asked, unsure of which crime she was apologizing for.

Sighing, Lulu answered, "For everything. When I got back to my apartment, I was pissed off. And I mean pissed off," she laughed. "I thought that you were just some rich, extremely fine, mama's boy who got whatever the hell he wanted when he wanted it. And I thought you were complaining just because you could…" she trailed off.

"Wow, I'm glad you think so highly of me," Johnny joked, shifting in his seat to angle his body toward Lulu's.

"Yeah, I have a habit of judging people before I know them. Which makes me such a hypocrite because I hate when people do that to me!" she said quickly, throwing her hands up in the air.

Johnny had to stop himself from laughing out loud at Lulu's admission. She was just so cute when she rambled on an on about herself, admitting that she had flaws. That was something Johnny had never thought he'd hear her admit.

"But anyways," Lulu continued, "when I started freaking out and venting to Jen about how all guys are the same, she told me to calm down and assured me that there must have been a reason as to why you were so upset. Then Seth called her and she asked him about it and he told her why you freaked out. I'm so, so sorry that I caused you to miss your exam. I feel awful."

Shocked by her apology, Johnny felt some of the tension he had been carrying melt away. His demeanor softening, he said, "Its okay. You didn't do it on purpose."

"I know, but that still didn't give me the right to run my mouth like a little miss know-it-all. But in my defense, it just never occurred to me that you still had exams left. I just figured that because I was done with my exams and because you were out partying last night, that you were done too."

"It's Seth's fault that I was out," Johnny said, "but that's a story for another time. And I wish I could make you feel better by saying there was no harm done, but that would be a lie…" his voice trailed off.

"Which class was your exam for?" Lulu asked, wanting to know more about the trouble she had caused.

"My P-Med class," Johnny said. At seeing the questioning look on Lulu's face, he continued, "That stands for preventative medicine. It was the last class I needed to complete before being accepted into the program."

"And that would be?" Lulu questioned, wondering which branch of medicine Johnny wanted to get into.

"Pediatric medicine," Johnny answered, his lips twitching into a small smile.

"Wow," Lulu breathed. "No offense, but I don't really see you as the pediatric type."

"Neither does my father," Johnny admitted, "but I've wanted this ever since I was a little kid." Seeing Lulu nod, Johnny continued, "When I was seven, I became really sick. I had a fever and the body aches, but my mom thought I just had the flu. I was sick for about three days and I was just about to get in the shower when I noticed that I had big, purple blotches all over my legs. Petechiae they were called. It looked like someone had repeatedly stuck me with a needle, causing bruises to break out all over the place."

"How awful," Lulu gasped, her heart aching for a young Johnny. "Did they hurt?"

"No, they just looked really bad." Johnny remembered. "I showed my mom and she took me to the emergency room. When the doctor saw my legs, he rushed me to the ICU and would only tell me mom to stay out of the way and that if she didn't, I could die. Turns out I had spinal meningitis, a deadly and contagious condition that needs medical attention right away. I had to stay in the hospital for ten days and I had all kinds of IV's hooked up to me. Everyone I had been in contact with for a month prior to me being admitted to the hospital had to take medication to protect themselves from contracting it too."

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that," Lulu said, imagining Johnny laying in a hospital bed with tubes connected to him. "Your parents must have been worried sick about you."

"My mom was," Johnny said, remembering how she had stayed by his side day and night throughout his hospital stay. "She stayed with me as much as the doctor's would allow, only leaving to shower and eat. For the first couple of days, she couldn't get real close to me because I was still contagious. But she was still there, outside my room. I remember her looking at me through the window, and smiling, mouthing that she loved me. When she was finally allowed to come in my room, she would sneak in decent food and bring me comic books to read. She was always there for me," he stated simply.

"She sounds great," Lulu said, thinking about her own mom. She wished she could have a real conversation with her, not a one-way conversation that always ended the same way. Not wanting to think about her problems at that moment, Lulu focused back on her conversation with Johnny. After hearing his earlier comment about how his father didn't see him as the pediatric type and not mentioning him visiting Johnny in the hospital at all, Lulu wandered what kind of relationship Johnny had with his father. But she decided to bite her tongue and not ask Johnny about it, figuring he'd bring it up if he wanted to talk about it.

"She was," Johnny said, distracting Lulu from her thoughts. After a moment of comfortable silence, Johnny continued, "Anyways, after my stay in the hospital, I knew I wanted to become a pediatrician. The doctors and nurses were great. They always checked on me and brought me anything I asked for. Some of them even stayed with me when my mom couldn't, reading me books or watching TV with me. And they always explained what they were going to do before they performed any procedure on me. From that moment on, I aspired to be just like them and I was on my way until…"

"Until I ruined it," Lulu finished for him. "Again, I'm so, so sorry that I put a halt to your dreams. But just because you missed that exam doesn't mean you can't fulfill your dream. Can't you just re-take the class and get into the program in the fall?"

"I wish it were that easy," Johnny said truthfully. "But after you apply for admission and fail to get accepted, you have to wait two years before you can apply again."

"So apply again in two years," Lulu stated, as if it were that simple.

"I would in a heartbeat," Johnny said, "but my father won't have it."

"What do you mean?" Lulu asked, hoping he'd open up more about his father.

"It's hard to explain," Johnny said, trying to find the right words to explain his situation. "My father has never accepted my decision to become a doctor. Since I was little, it was his dream that I'd one day take over the family business. When I told him that I had other dreams, he was heartbroken, saying I don't have what it takes to be a respected physician."

"That's terrible," Lulu said, finding it cruel that Johnny's father had so little faith in him.

"After I explained to him why I wanted to be a pediatrician, he said he'd make a deal with me. He said he'd pay for my college education and he'd learn to accept my decision if I proved I could do it. If and when I got through med school and got a job, he'd accept that he was wrong and I was right. However, if I stumbled along the way, that was it. He'd tell me 'I told you so' and force me to take over the business."

"So this is it?" Lulu asked. "Your not going back after break is over?"

"No, I am," Johnny assured. "I'll just have to change my major and take classes focused on business…that was part of the deal."

"That just isn't fair," Lulu said, angered that Johnny's father could have so much control over him.

"I know," Johnny said softly, "but let's not talk about that anymore. It's too depressing."

"Okay," Lulu agreed. "How about I get you all hot and bothered again?"

"And why would I want you to do that?" Johnny laughed.

"Because I wasn't lying before. I really do like it when you get all flustered around me…and I think you like it too."  
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	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4**_

"You did not," Lulu choked out between fits of laughter, her head tilted to the side as she looked to Johnny for confirmation.

"Oh, I so did," Johnny confirmed, laughing along with Lulu. "I yelled, 'Mom, the meatloaf' and everyone in the diner looked at me like I had three heads or something. So, not only did we get kicked out of the club, but we got kicked out of the diner too. I guess the waitress wasn't a fan of _The Wedding Crashers_ ."

"Maybe she just wasn't a fan of you," Lulu giggled, holding her stomach as she once again doubled over in laughter.

Her stomach ached and her cheeks hurt from the never-ending laughter she had encountered over the last two hours. She and Johnny had traded story after story about anything and everything, often laughing and gasping in disbelief about the different situations each had gotten into.

There hadn't been a moment of silence between them as Lulu told Johnny about the time she had got arrested for indecent exposure after she had been caught skinny dipping and Johnny told Lulu about the time he had gone streaking across campus on a dare. In addition to sharing their favorite memories, they also talked about their favorite hobbies and pastimes. They talked about their favorite movies and music, often laughing over things they had in common and playfully arguing over the things they didn't.

"Oh, come on, who wouldn't be a fan of this face?" Johnny asked, holding his chin with his hand and turning his head from side to side.

"Whatever," Lulu snorted, trying to cover the fact that she agreed with him. She couldn't think of one single human being who wouldn't absolutely adore Johnny's gorgeous face. And to Lulu's unwanted pleasure, not only was his face beautiful, but so was everything else about him. His body was flawless, his eyes would make any girl swoon, and his personality was unbelievably amazing, which only added to his attractiveness.

Since Johnny had accused her of throwing herself at him, Lulu had wanted to dislike him in the worst way. But for reasons unknown to her, she found herself more attracted to him than she ever had been to any other guy and it frustrated her beyond belief. Even when he was being a jerk and accusing her of being hot for him, she had been turned on. He got to her, igniting a fire in her that she had never before felt, and she had been determined to write him off as a complete jerk just to make herself forget about him. But then Jen had told her why Johnny was so upset and she couldn't help but feel for him. She felt the only option she had was to apologize to him and let herself sympathize with his situation. However, she hadn't planned on meeting up with him again so soon or, worse yet, getting to know him better. She found herself thoroughly enjoying his company and was disappointed that the plane would be landing soon, cutting off her contact from Johnny.

"So, don't you find it funny that we're from the same town and we go to the same school, but we never met each other until last night?" Johnny asked, interrupting her thoughts.

"Yeah, and now I can't seem to get rid of you," Lulu joked.

"Haha, you are so funny," Johnny said sarcastically. "But seriously, isn't that kind of weird that we practically grew up in the same place and have spent almost two years living on the same campus, but we first met under awkward circumstances and ended up sleeping in the same bed. And now, after not even knowing each other for 24 hours, we end up sitting next to each other on the same flight to our hometown for Christmas break?"

"Yeah, I guess that is kind of weird," Lulu agreed. "But Crimson Point is just outside of Port Charles, so…"

"I guess your right. I've only been to Port Charles once or twice and campus is pretty big, so maybe it isn't all that weird that we hadn't met…." he trailed off, a comfortable silence descending over them.

After a few moments, Lulu asked, "So, you have any exciting plans for break?"

"Eh, nothing really. Just hanging out with friends and trying to figure out my school situation, but that's about it. How about you?"

"My plans are just about as exciting as yours," Lulu laughed. "Port Charles is no where near as exhilarating as LA." Not that she didn't love Port Charles and the people in it, but there was something about the nightlife of LA and the different people she encountered that kept her intrigued and made her feel as if she could be anyone she wanted to be.

"You can say that again," Johnny agreed. "There's always something going on or something to do at school, but it's a different story back home."

"I know. But it'll be good to see my family and friends and catch up on what I've missed since I've last been home. Besides, I feel like there's at least one exciting thing bound to happen while I'm here. Some drama is definitely going down. Hey, maybe I'll even get wasted and need some stranger to give me a ride home and then I'll end up in the same bed as him…"

"Please, do not put another poor soul through that," Johnny laughed. "But I have to admit, if I had known you when I was in high school, I bet I would have had a lot more fun in this town."

"Why do you say that?" Lulu asked, curious as to what he meant.

"I just have a feeling that you would have made things more interesting," Johnny admitted.

"Oh, so what you're really saying is that you were a loser with no friends in high school and if you had met me, I would have felt sorry for you and pretended to be your friend, making your life a little more exciting than the boring one you led?" Lulu joked.

"Hey, I resent that. I'll have you know that I was extremely popular in high school. I was captain of the football team, student body president, and valedictorian. I threw the best parties and had the best ride. All the guys wanted to be me and all the girls wanted to be with me."

"Wow, you're not full of yourself at all," Lulu muttered.

"I'm just stating the facts. Anyways, the point I was trying to make is that I had some really good times in high school. I even shared some of them with you before, remember?" At seeing Lulu nod, he continued, "But I just have a feeling that despite all the fun times I had, if I had known you, I probably would have had even funner times."

"Funner? Are you kidding me? That's not even a word. And I thought you were the valedictorian," Lulu giggled, secretly pleased that Johnny thought so highly of her.

"See, that's what I mean! Instead of following me around like a lost little puppy or agreeing with every damn word I said, you would have run your mouth when you didn't agree with me or didn't like something that I did. You would have put me in my place, unlike the rest of my fans." Johnny explained.

"Damn straight I would have," Lulu exclaimed. She had always been a leader and not a follower. She spoke her mind and didn't care what people thought of her.

A voice came over the intercom, interrupting Lulu from her thoughts. "Ladies and gentlemen, please fasten your seatbelts as we will be landing in the next ten minutes. Thank you."

"Wow, this flight seemed really fast," Johnny said, surprised at how the time flew by.

"I know, but thank god it's over. I won't have to put up with you for much longer," Lulu said, her eyes sparkling.

"Oh, don't think you're getting rid of me that easily," Johnny stated, "Seth tells me that things went extremely well with Jen and he plans on seeing a lot more of her…which, unfortunately, means I'll probably be seeing a lot more of you once we get back to school."

"Geez, don't sound so excited about it," Lulu laughed. "And you never know, maybe we'll be seeing each other sooner than you think. There is a possibility that we could run into each other over break," she said, secretly hoping that she'd run into Johnny somewhere along the line.

"That's always a possibility and I'm sure I'll being going to Port Charles a couple of times, so I'll keep my eyes open for any glimpse I might catch of you," he smiled, causing Lulu's heart to skip a beat.

She didn't know why her body was reacting to him this way. Plenty of guys had smiled at her before, but none of them had the effect on her that Johnny had. The simple sight of his lips twitching upwards made her feel like melting into a puddle of mush right before his very eyes. "And I guess I can keep my eyes open for any glimpse I might catch of you," Lulu smiled back.

"What's your number?" Johnny asked, taking Lulu by surprise.

"Huh?" Lulu asked in confusion.

"Your phone number?"

"Why do you want it?" Lulu asked, taking Johnny's phone from his outstretched hand and punching her name and number into it.

"Because Jen and Seth are going to be in LA together over break and I might need to text you and make fun of them if Seth tells me any more nauseating facts about them. Seriously, they haven't even known each other for 24 hours and Seth has already told me, like, 20 times, how they really connected last night."

"Oh my god, I know! Before I left, Jen kept telling me how lucky she was to meet such a great guy. I was going insane!" Lulu proclaimed, handing Johnny back his phone and holding hers out for him to take.

"Glad to know I'm not the only one ready to vomit if I hear anymore about their relationship. Therefore, I might need to text you so you can vomit with me," Johnny joked, handing Lulu back her phone after he had programmed his number into it. "Well, that and I just wanted you to have my number in case you get drunk and need a ride home. I wouldn't want some random guy to give you a ride home and get more than he bargained for when you crawl in bed with him during the middle of the night."

"Aww, it's so sweet that you care, Hot Shot," Lulu glared at him.

"You know, it's probably a good thing that we didn't meet earlier," Johnny stated.

"And why is that?"

"Because you and that attitude of yours are just too much to handle sometimes."

"Excuse me? Me and my attitude? What about you, Mr. All That? You think you're so cool just because-,"

"Just kidding," Johnny said in a sing-song voice.

"What?" Lulu huffed.

"I like it when you get all hot and bothered around me…and I think you like it too."  
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